Attempting to explain the transactions involving Gaffney, Stallworth and Taylor

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 -- Anonymous (not verified)

Yesterday, after the Patriots released wide receivers Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth and claimed wideout Kerry Taylor off waivers, I received a common thread of questioning on Twitter. Mostly, it sounded like this: "Why?"

It's a fair question, but it might be a mistake to view it as an either/or situation. Taylor spent a week on the Patriots' practice squad last September, so they're familiar with him. They might have simply viewed this as an opportunity to keep Taylor in the system this week before attempting to slide him onto the practice squad this weekend.

As for Gaffney and Stallworth, well, don't rule out a return. Gaffney hadn't practiced since injuring his hip (likely a tweaked muscle, based on the way he pulled up while running a route) two weeks ago. It's conceivable Gaffney could return when he's healthy enough to resume his on-field work. After all, he had a pretty good start to training camp, and Tom Brady has liked him for years.

Stallworth was having a good camp, too, though he was still behind Deion Branch and Gaffney (before the injury) on the depth chart. It's possible Stallworth could return later, as well.

Of course, Gaffney and Stallworth could find homes elsewhere, which would put an end to all of these theories. If that happens, remember last season when Bill Belichick said he wouldn't ever release a player he wasn't prepared to lose. In that case, it would be surprising after the Patriots spent the offseason working to collect receivers who have a strong history with Brady. So, through all of the uncertainty here, that's my best effort to answer the "why" question, though this storyline needs more time to play itself out.